Resilience against anti-Semitism
Resilience against anti-Semitism 2025
We are all equal—there is no Christian, Muslim, or Jewish blood. There is only human blood.
On 30 September 2025, Münster Police Headquarters, University of Applied Sciences for Police and Public Administration in North Rhine-Westphalia, Dep. Münster and the University of Münster invite you to a joint event on "Resilience against anti-Semitism".
The event, to which students who are studying to become teachers in particular are invited, begins at 8:30 a.m. in H1 (Schlossplatz 46, 48143 Münster).
Programme
08:00–08:30 | Admission
08:25–08:30 | Music
State Police Orchestra conducted by Hans Steinmeier
08:30–09:00 | Opening of the event and welcoming
Prof. Dr. Johannes Wessels, Rector of the University of Münster
Alexandra Dorndorf, Chief of the Münster Police Department
Prof Dr. Iris Wiesner, Vice President of the HSPV NRW09:00–09:05 | Music
State Police Orchestra conducted by Hans Steinmeier
09:05–10:05 | More than 90 minutes – Preventing anti-Semitism in and through soccer
Daniel Lörcher, founder and managing director of what matters GmbH and anti-discrimination officer at Borussia Dortmund
10:05–11:05 | Overview of academic and social anti-Semitism in North Rhine-Westphalia
Jörg Rensmann and Andreas Stahl, Research and Information Center on Anti-Semitism in North Rhine-Westphalia (RIAS NRW)
11:05–11:10 | Music
State Police Orchestra conducted by Hans Steinmeier
11:10–11:20 | Presentation of the workshops
11:20–11:25 | Statement
Dr. Annegret Saxe, Chairwoman of Sparkasse Münsterland Ost
11:25–12:00 | Change of location (Schloss) and coffee break
12:00–02:00 | Workshops/lectures by topic
The following workshops will be offered (in alphabetical order of workshop leaders):
- German Jewish Life
Dana and Irina
In this workshop, young people talk about how their lives are shaped by their affiliation with the Jewish faith in Germany.
They report on how society deals with their faith, as well as the challenges and hostility they face daily. -
Anti-Semitism in the digital world
Daniel Dertenkötter, Münster PoliceThe digital world is subject to constant change, which anti-Semites know how to exploit. For example, the American comic character ‘Pepe the Frog’ is used as a symbol of recognition for like-minded people. But how can I, as a private user, respond to such posts? What reporting portals are available to me for both criminal and non-criminal content?
Based on a current case involving an extremely active meme creator from Hanover, this workshop will take a closer look at the challenges of the digital world. - Underground hatred of Jews – Anti-Semitism in left-wing movements
Ruben Gerczikow, journalist and author, and Monty Ott, political and religious studies scholar and author, Berlin
Nobody wants to be an Anti-Semite. Especially not in subcultures and movements with a progressive, emancipatory self-image. But hatred of Jews also goes underground – whether rappers against Rothschilds, DJs for Palestine or Punks Against Apartheid. BDS, the boycott campaign against the Jewish state, wants to hijack almost every cause, from class struggle to climate justice. Well-known myths resurface in an alternative form, at Pride demonstrations, at the documenta or at the commemoration of the Hanau Terror. And many Jews wonder where their place is in such scenes.
- People between belonging and exclusion in those days – consequences for today
Jana Haack and Christian Middendorf, Seminar for Medieval and Modern Church History at the Catholic Theology Faculty of the University of Münster
The digital edition of the cries for help sent by persecuted Jews to Pius XII as part of the “Asking the Pope for Help” project impressively highlights the struggle of the persecuted for identity amid the conflicting forces of religious, racial, and cultural affiliations. The subproject “Belonging then and now” examines for the first time the self-descriptions of the petitioners in comparison with external attributions. In the workshop, different dimensions of exclusion and belonging in the letters of petition and the accompanying correspondence will be examined using exemplary individual fates. These include baptism as a symbol of identification with Christianity, but also anti-Semitic statements by curial employees. The focus is also on teaching materials developed on the basis of the research results. Individual modules enable students to examine the statements made at the time about identity in the context of flight, asylum, and persecution in relation to the present and to draw conclusions for today.
- Anti-Semitism as a bridge narrative among extremists
Dr. Pascal Henke, Ministry of the Interior of North Rhine-Westphalia
Anti-Semitism often goes hand in hand with extremism. Judaism is seen as a symbol of modernity and everything that extremists dislike about it, such as liberal democracy. The hatred that stems from this can even bridge ideological divides. It was not only the terrorist attacks by HAMAS on the State of Israel on 7 October 2023 that showed what alliances can form when people join forces to incite hatred against Israel or Judaism. This workshop will examine how anti-Semitism manifests itself in various forms of extremism and what (historical) connections exist across ideological divides.
- Anti-Semitism among Muslims
Prof. Dr. Mouhanad Khorchide, PD Dr. Sarah Demmrich and Abdulkerim Şenel, Research Center “Islam and Politics”, Center for Islamic Theology
Anti-Semitism is much more widespread among Muslims than among non-Muslims. The workshop offers a scientifically based outline of the problem with current trends and challenges. The aim is to sensitize participants to this topic in their future practical work. -
Responsibility through remembrance. Memorial trips for a police force committed to democracy
Torsten Krückemeier, Chief of Police of Central Hesse, and Benjamin Schneider, Central Hesse PoliceHow can we learn from the past to strengthen our democracy today? This seminar invites participants to understand memory as a source of strength for responsible action in the here and now. An impulse from Torsten Krückemeier (Chief of Police at the Central Hesse Police Headquarters) opens up a view of the role of the police between the present and the future. Using interactive methods – from lines of argument to ‘voices of remembrance’ – participants will address questions such as: What responsibility do we bear today? Where do we need to show our commitment? And how can we actively shape our democratic culture? A travel report on the former Lodz ghetto (Police Commissioner Benjamin Schneider) bridges the gap between historical memory and current action. The aim is to encourage civil courage, clear signals against hatred – and a police force that not only protects democracy, but actively lives it.
- Introduction to the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict
Andreas Stahl, Central Office for the Advice and Monitoring of Anti-Semitic Incidents at Universities in North Rhine-Westphalia, Münster | RIAS NRW
This workshop offers an introduction to the history of Zionism and the founding of the State of Israel. Particular attention will be paid to the first Arab-Israeli war in 1948. The discussion will also address the question of what has stood in the way of the oft-cited “two-state solution” since the beginning of the conflict and which central ideological and personal continuities play a role in this.
And other courses ...
Registered participants will receive further information about the selection by email in the week before the event.
02:00–03:00 | Lunch break
03:00–05:00 | Future prospects and farewell
Former Minister President Armin Laschet, Member of the German Bundestag | Chairman of the Abraham Accords Institute for Peace and Regional Integration and Chairman of the German Bundestag's Foreign Affairs Committee (invited)
Prof. Dr. Mouhanad Khorchide, Center for Islamic Theology at the University of Münster
et al.Moderation of the day:
Susanne Dittert, University of Applied Sciences for Police and Public Administration North Rhine-Westphalia
Ludger Hiepel, Officer of the University of Münster against Anti-Semitism
Alexander Koch, Münster PoliceThe event is supported by a donation from the Sparkasse Münsterland Ost.
- German Jewish Life
Resilience against anti-Semitism 2024
It is the responsibility of each and every one of us to strongly oppose racism and anti-Semitism – whether at the regulars' table or in the timeline.
On 12 November 2024, Münster Police Headquarters, University of Applied Sciences for Police and Public Administration in North Rhine-Westphalia, Dep. Münster and the University of Münster invite you to a joint event on "Resilience against anti-Semitism".
The event, to which students who are studying to become teachers in particular are invited, begins at 9 a.m. in H1 (Schlossplatz 46, 48143 Münster).
Programme
08:45 – 09:00 | Admission
09:00 – 09:45 | Opening of the event and welcoming
Prof. Dr. Johannes Wessels, Rector of the University of Münster
Herbert Reul, Minister of the Interior of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia
Dani Dayan, Chairman of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Israel09:45 – 10:30 | “Let us never forget”. Lessons from the petitions of Jewish persecutees to Pius XII.
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Hubert Wolf, Department of Medieval and Modern Church History, Catholic Theological Faculty, University of Münster
10:30 – 11:15 | The Holocaust through Children's Eyes
Sabrina Hamidi, Julia Götz and class 10d of Annette-von-Droste-Hülshoff-Gymnasiums in Münster
11:55 – 12:45 | Coffee Break
11:45 – 12:45 | Welcoming address
Guy Gilady, Deputy Ambassador of the State of Israel in Germany
12:00 – 12:45 | Anti-Semitism – old hatred in new forms
Ministerialdirigent Jürgen Kayser, Head of the Department for the Protection of the Constitution at the Ministry of the Interior of North Rhine-Westphalia
12:45 – 13:30 | Roundtable discussion
Andrzej Kacorzyk, Vice Director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum
Julian Tsapir, Education Coordinator for German-Speaking Countries at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem
Stefan Querl, Director of the Villa ten Hompel History Site in Münster
Ludger Hiepel, Officer of the University of Münster against Anti-Semitism13:30 – 13:45 | Presentation of the workshop program
13:45 – 14:45 | Lunch break and change of location (Schloss)
14:45 – 16:15 | Workshops
The following workshops are offered (in alphabetical order of the workshop leaders):
- German Jewish Life
Dana and Sharon
In this workshop, young people talk about how their lives are shaped by their affiliation with the Jewish faith in Germany.
They report on how society deals with their faith, as well as the challenges and hostility they face daily. - The Shoa in the Eyes of Children, using the example of the children's book “For Tommy on his 3rd Birthday” by Bedrich Fritta
Sabrina Hamidi and Julia Götz, Annette-von-Droste-Hülshoff-Gymnasium in Münster
The workshop begins with a theoretical introduction to working with materials from Yad Vashem, including in primary schools. It provides space to try out the material and shows how interdisciplinary project work (such as exhibitions, trips to memorials or working with eyewitnesses) can be carried out. In addition, an overview is given of how a project day on the topic of “preventing Anti-Semitism” can be planned and carried out. - Anti-Semitism among Muslims
Prof. Dr. Mouhanad Khorchide, PD Dr. Sarah Demmrich and Abdulkerim Şenel, Research Center “Islam and Politics”, Center for Islamic Theology
Anti-Semitism is much more widespread among Muslims than among non-Muslims. The workshop offers a scientifically based outline of the problem with current trends and challenges. The aim is to sensitize participants to this topic in their future practical work. - Underground hatred of Jews – Anti-Semitism in left-wing movements
Nicholas Potter, journalist and author, and Monty Ott, political and religious studies scholar and author, Berlin
Nobody wants to be an Anti-Semite. Especially not in subcultures and movements with a progressive, emancipatory self-image. But hatred of Jews also goes underground – whether rappers against Rothschilds, DJs for Palestine or Punks Against Apartheid. BDS, the boycott campaign against the Jewish state, wants to hijack almost every cause, from class struggle to climate justice. Well-known myths resurface in an alternative form, at Pride demonstrations, at the documenta or at the commemoration of the Hanau Terror. And many Jews wonder where their place is in such scenes. - Bialystok, June 27, 1941: The Massacre and its Impact after 1945
Peter Römer, Villa ten Hompel History Site in Münster
The basis of the workshop is a specific historical event in the context of the Shoah, namely the massacre of the Jewish population of Bialystok by German police officers and members of the armed forces a few days after the start of Operation Barbarossa in the summer of 1941. The focus is on the actions and decisions of various actors who were present in Bialystok that day, without, however, creating an equalization of the different groups. The aim is for learners to independently explore various courses of action and to relate these to the actions that actually took place and the decisions that were actually made, in order to recognize the complexity of the spectrum of possible courses of action. The goal is to contextualize the actions and decisions of the people involved. - Introduction to the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict
Andreas Stahl, Central Office for the Advice and Monitoring of Anti-Semitic Incidents at Universities in North Rhine-Westphalia, Münster | RIAS NRW
This workshop offers an introduction to the history of Zionism and the founding of the State of Israel. Particular attention will be paid to the first Arab-Israeli war in 1948. The discussion will also address the question of what has stood in the way of the oft-cited “two-state solution” since the beginning of the conflict and which central ideological and personal continuities play a role in this. - Anti-Semitism. Doesn't exist here. Or does it?
Julian Tsapir, Education Coordinator for German-Speaking Countries at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem
Anti-Semitism manifests itself throughout society in the form of violence that Jews experience every day. However, in order to deal with Anti-Semitism professionally in everyday life, it is necessary to react not only when Anti-Semitic attacks have already occurred. Based on case studies, this workshop also addresses subtle forms of Anti-Semitism and touches on other forms of discrimination in order to sensitize participants to the experiences of those affected and to expand their individual ability to intervene. - Learning from life stories – practical insights into the project “Asking the Pope for Help”
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Hubert Wolf and Jana Haack, Department of Medieval and Modern Church History at the Faculty of Catholic Theology, University of Münster, and Alissa Geisler, Institute for Religious Education and Pastoral Theology at the Faculty of Catholic Theology, University of Münster
The digital edition of the pleas for help from Jewish people to Pius XII, as part of the project “Asking the Pope for Help”, opens up a completely new didactic perspective: with the help of the teaching material, students can discover, develop and compare a wide range of biographies of persecuted people in times of totalitarianism, world war and the Shoah, based on the pleas for help. The biographical vignettes that can be gleaned from the material vividly and tangibly bring to life the life paths and fates of Jews, reflecting a broad spectrum of Judaism in Europe before, during, and after the Shoah. During the workshop, the teaching material will be presented and the potential of the letters of petition for developing resilience against Anti-Semitism from a religious education perspective will be highlighted. The focus will also be on the Vatican's handling of the letters of petition and on reflecting on one's own professional practice and scope for action. -
Does criticism of Israel threaten our democracy, or is that just a knock-back argument?
Dr. Gil Yaron, Director of the NRW Office in Israel
War has been raging in the Middle East for a year, and Israel is criticized more often and more harshly than almost any other country. When and how is criticism of Israel's government legitimate? What does the term “antisemitism” actually mean? And how is all of this connected to the foundations of our democracy? A workshop on a highly charged and current topic.
Registered participants will receive further information on the selection by email in the next few days.
16:20 – 16:30 | Farewell
Alexandra Dorndorf, Chief of the Münster Police Department
Christoph Keller, HSPV NRW, Head of Münster DepartmentModeration of the day:
Susanne Dittert, University of Applied Sciences for Police and Public Administration North Rhine-Westphalia
Ludger Hiepel, Officer of the University of Münster against Anti-Semitism
Alexander Koch, Münster PoliceThe event is supported by a donation from the Sparkasse Münsterland Ost
and by the Commissioner for Anti-Semitism of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.- German Jewish Life
Resilience against anti-Semitism 2023
Remembering hurts. It triggers horror and makes us fall silent and cry out at the same time. Facing up to the most oppressive truths of our history is indispensable.
On 12 September 2023, Münster Police Headquarters, University of Applied Sciences for Police and Public Administration in North Rhine-Westphalia, Dep. Münster and the University of Münster invite you to a joint event on "Resilience against anti-Semitism".
The event, to which students with the goal of becoming teachers are especially invited, will take place in H1 (Schlossplatz 46, 48143 Münster).
Registration is requested: gegen.antisemitismus@uni-muenster.de
Programme
08:45 – 09:00 | Admission
09:00 – 09:40 | Opening of the event and welcoming
Prof. Dr. Michael Quante,Vice-Rector for Internationalization, Knowledge Transfer and Sustainability
Christoph Keller, HSPV NRW, Head of Münster Department
Dani Dayan, Chairman of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Israel09:40 – 11:10 | Approaches to the topic of the Holocaust and perpetration using the example of a deportation of German Jews from Düsseldorf to Riga
Julian Tsapir, Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Israel
11:10 – 11:55 | Administrative and police history in the context of anti-Semitism prevention - What does it have to do with me?
Peter Römer and Naomi Roth, Villa ten Hompel History Site in Münster
11:55 – 12:45 | Lunch Break
12:45 – 13:30 | Anti-Semitism - old hatred in new forms
Ministerialdirigent Jürgen Kayser, Head of the Department for the Protection of the Constitution at the Ministry of the Interior of North Rhine-Westphalia
13:30 – 14:30 | Anti-Semitism and conspiracy theories on the net - moderated dialogue followed by discussion
Ludger Hiepel, Daniel Freitag and Daria Hartmann, University of Münster
14:30 – 14:50 | Break
14:50 - 15:35 | Current forms of anti-Israelism
Dr. Gil Yaron, Head of the NRW Office in Israel
15:35 - 15:50 | Summary and outlook
Susanne Dittert, HSPV NRW
Ludger Hiepel, Rector's Officer at the University of Münster against Anti-Semitism
Alexander Koch, Münster Police15:50 - 16:15 | Farewell
Alexandra Dorndorf, Chief of the Münster Police Department